2025 Year in Review: Our Travel Takeaways and Personal Picks for Best in Hospitality

At Craft, our end-of-year review is something of a treasured ritual. It serves as more than just the compilation of an Instagram Highlight Post; it is a moment of deep reflection that brings clarity to our mission and defines the path forward.

2025 was our biggest, most successful year ever: we expanded our advisor team by three (Rachael, Meredith and Ali), we collectively sent more clients to more destinations than ever before. 

But despite the much welcomed growth in the business, in many ways much of the success came from slowing down: most advisors took on fewer clients, posted far less on social media and accepted fewer partner-sponsored familiarization trips. Instead, energy was more focused on a single goal: intentionality. 

This wasn't a year for broad, surface-level exploration. Instead, we chose to deepen our roots, strengthening bonds with our incredible clients and doubling down on the regions we know best to ensure our expertise remains unmatched.

2025 at a Glance: The Year of Intentionality

Despite our growth, the real success came from slowing down. We chose "intentionality" as our guiding light: taking on fewer clients, posting less on social media, and focusing energy on deepening our roots in the regions we know best. This commitment ensures that when you book with us, you aren't just getting information; you're getting mastery.

Why Mastery Matters in the Age of AI

In an era where AI can generate a thousand itineraries in seconds, we believe the true superpower of a travel advisor is discernment. Our clients don’t just need information; they need insight. That insight is forged through years of independent travel, personal connections and a commitment to experiencing every property firsthand.

Our 2025 Philosophy

When we look back at our favorite personal travel experiences of 2025, the year’s guiding philosophies are extraordinarily clear: 

1. Quality Over Quantity
We prioritized fewer, more focused destinations to strengthen our local relationships amongst the much-loved favorites and to uncover new hotels and experiences off the beaten path.

2. The Depth of Experience
The post-COVID era has seen an explosion of newly minted luxury travel advisors. We love seeing the growth of our industry, but let’s be clear: mastery isn't built overnight. It is the result of returning to a place again and again, understanding its nuances and extrapolating them to the needs of our clients. 

3. Authentic Perspective
We are not here to be content creators or travel influencers. Our recommendations are never influenced by outside parties, and we’ve made a conscious decision to post only about our own trips or those planned on behalf of our clients. We use our own content, our own ideas and our own lived experiences.

Craft by the Numbers

But mastery isn't just a concept—it's a commitment to being on the ground. This past year:

• Julia logged 108 nights across 49 different properties in 13 countries across Africa and Europe.
  

• Andrea explored the rugged terrain of Patagonia on a multi-week road trip through Argentina and Chile.
  

• Elissa and Andrea both did deep dives into Iceland with two extended and completely different itineraries.
  

• Clare and Julia did the same with Ireland.
  

• Julia, Elissa, Rachael and Meredith collectively visited 53 unique safari camps and lodges.
  

• 80% of our advisors spent significant time in Italy, immersing themselves in regions from the Dolomites down to Sardinia.

2025 Advisor Picks: Best Hotels, Safaris and Memories

Now, to the fun stuff. We travel so you can travel better. Here is our full list from our team’s 2025 journeys, with some bonus selections not included on our Instagram post!

Julia

• Most Memorable Experience: Kalepo Camp, Kenya

• Best Hotel Room: Ashford Castle, Ireland

• Safari Lodge I’d Move Into: Tengile River Lodge, South Africa

• Favorite Family Trip: Gmundner Lodge, Namibia

• Most Exciting New Opening: The Alexander Estate, South Africa

• Most Life-Changing: Chenot Palace Weggis, Switzerland

• Best Kept Secret: Masseria Calderisi, Puglia

• Best Cocktails (and Vibes): Londolozi, South Africa

Autumn

• Hottest Hotel Update: Hotel Ancora, Cortina d’Ampezzo

• Dreamiest Honeymoon: Botswana

• Best Farm-to-Table Dining: Il Borro, Tuscany

• Best Design Details: Palazzo Lecce, Puglia

• Where I’m Returning for My Honeymoon: Castiglion del Bosco, A Rosewood Hotel

Elissa

• Most Kid-Friendly Safari: Tswalu Kalahari

• Most Epic Views: Awasi Patagonia

• Favorite Family Trip: Iceland

• Most Romantic Safari Lodge: Sausage Tree Camp, Zambia

• Best Hotel Service: One Aldwych, London

Andrea

• Most Worth the Splurge: Deplar Farm, Iceland

• Favorite Family Trip: Puglia

• Place with Most Soul: Pata Lodge, Chile

• Best Meal: Txai Resort Itacaré, Brazil

• Favorite Parisian stay: La Reserve

• Best Gelato: Bar Gelateria Imperatore Porto Cesareo, Puglia

Clare

• Room I’ll Never Forget: Royal Mansour Marrakech

• Favorite Stateside Find: Bishops Lodge, Santa Fe

• Best “Anti-Luxury” Stay: Roundwood House, Ireland

• Favorite Spa: Hacienda AltaGracia, Costa Rica

• Favorite Family Moments: São Lourenço do Barrocal, Portugal

• Favorite “Miami Beach Antidote” Barefoot Luxury Beach Stay: Pine Cay

• Favorite Road Trip: Ireland

Rachael

• Best Landscape: Sapi Reserve, Zimbabwe

• Best Safari Food: Melote House, South Africa

• Best Solo Meal: Street food in Rome

• Best City Hotel: Six Senses Rome

Meredith

• Most Epic Big Cat Sightings: Mala Mala Game Reserve, South Africa

• Freshest Caprese Salad: La Pizzeria, Locorotondo

• Best Hiking City: Cape Town

• Best Safari Interior Design: Tanda Tula Safari Camp, South Africa

• Best Outdoor Bathtub: Pollicastro Boutique Hotel, Lecce, Italy

Ali

• Best Sandbar: Staniel Cay, Exuma

• Best Hotel Gym: 1 Hotel Kauai

• Best Beach Day: Tunnels Beach, Kauai

• Best Beach Chair View: Four Seasons Anguilla

• Favorite Boat Charter: Blue Collective Turks & Caicos 

• Best Village Stroll: Alberobello, Puglia 

• Best Gelato: Caruso in Polignano a Mare, Puglia

Looking Forward to 2026

As we look toward the year ahead, our promise remains unchanged: to provide an original, human perspective that no algorithm can replicate. And we’ll have some exciting new developments to share with you in the first few months of the year that will demonstrate this even further ☺️

It’s important to remember that our number one priority when traveling is considering what our clients need. The collaborative nature of our client-advisor process is what we love most about what we do, and there is not a single trip we take without a particular client in mind. We are incredibly grateful to our clients who continue to trust our vision and value the art of masterfully crafted travel.

Here’s to a 2026 filled with adventure, health, and discovery!

Yours in travel,

Julia & The Craft Team

About Craft Travel

The Craft Team is a group of dedicated travel advisors specializing in bespoke, high-end experiences. With hundreds of nights spent on the ground each year, we use our firsthand expertise to curate journeys that are as unique as the clients we love to serve.